One thing that has really been fun for me during our camping adventures, is finding new things to cook over the campfire. My husband brings his propane-powered griddle/camp stove sometimes — but honestly, I love the challenge of cooking over a campfire.

I love that this recipe doesn’t use mayonnaise (I have a mayo phobia) — but even more, I love how freaking delicious it is! I’ve started doubling the recipe anytime there’s more than two of us sharing this treat, because it’s that good. Unlike the recipe, I don’t consider the veggie soup mix optional – it’s a must-have, as far as I’m concerned. I like the dip served best with a French baguette, which I slice ahead of time at home and bring packed in a Ziploc bag.

My husband and I saw various versions of these on Pinterest, and decided to give them a try this summer. We LOVE them, even more then traditional s’mores. We start with a waffle cone, then mix up milk chocolate chips, finely chopped fresh strawberries, and mini-marshamallows. We fill the cone with these goodies, wrap in tin foil, then cook on the grates over our campfire until melty inside. Husband has also added mini Reese’s peanut butter cups, and swears by them. Next summer, we want to experiment with caramels and butterscotch chips.

I’ve seen other campfire nacho recipes online, but the version I concocted a couple years ago remains my favorite — and my husband’s favorite. It’s easy to cook, with most of the prep work done ahead of time. The nachos get a nice smoky flavor from being cooked over the fire.

I received the “Doughy Ball Maker” for my birthday, and we tried out the classic doughy balls recipe on our last trip … and WOW, delish. They are like doughnut holes, but served still warm, after being cooked over the campfire. The cooking process is a little labor-intensive and cumbersome, but the results are definitely tasty. These are a great breakfast treat, especially if paired with sausage and/or eggs.

Campfire Oysters & Garlic Butter

My husband’s uncle came with on our most recent camping trip. He lives near a town called Oysterville along the southwest Washington coast — and on his way to the campsite, he picked up two dozen fresh oysters. Once we got the campfire roaring, he threw those bad boys down on the grates and started melting a combination of butter and seasoned garlic butter. (The garlic butter alone proved a little too strong). Once the oysters popped open, we pulled the oyster out of the shell, drenched it in the melted butter, and savored every delicate, delicious bite. I never want to go camping without oysters ever again. I could eat these for days!

(I also love cooking other shellfish on the campfire. For mussels or clams, I use a big metal pot on the campfire grates. I melt butter, add some white wine and assorted herbs (to taste), then steam the clams or mussels until they pop open.)